Typewriting machine



F. A. HART June 6, 1933.

TYPEWR'ITING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I. 1 J, 1 a R WITNESSES ATTORN EY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 6, 1933. F, HART TYPEWRI'IING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1930 WITNESSES June 6, 1933.

F. A. HART TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR M a M w gfflmill.

ATTORNEY June 6, 1933. A H T 1,912,449

TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed March 24, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR I; M/ Mai/M BYW/y4m ATTORNEY WITNESSES l atented June 6, 1933 UNITEB STATES PATENT OFFICE FREDERICK A. HART, OF NEW BRITAIN", CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T REMINGTON TYPEVIRITER COMPANY, 015 ZLEON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK TYPENRITING MA PIIINE Application filed March 24, 1930. Serial No. 438,589.

My invention relates to typewriting machines and more particularly to case shifting mechanism therefor. 7

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide comparatively simple and etiicient case shift mechanism, more especially useful in long carriage shifting platen ma chines, although the invention is not restricted to embodiment in such machines.

A further object of my invention is to provide mechanism of the character specified which may be readily ei bodied in existing machines, without modifying, or materially modifying the existing structural foa tures thereof, and in order to readily convert a comparatively short carriage standard machine into a long carriage machine.

To the above and other ends which will hereinafter appear my invention consists in the features of construction, arrangements of parts and combinations of devices set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. l is side view, with parts broken away, of a typewriting machine equipied with the devices of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail, fragmentary, perspective view of a portion of the machine.

3 is a d tail, fragmentary, skeletonized, perspective view showing a portion of the case shifting mechanism.

Fig. at is a detail side view of one of the sets of roller bearings for the case shift rock shaft.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the same on a larger scale, the section being taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows at said line.

Fig. 6 is a detail, fragmentary, perspective view of the carriage and the auxiliary counter balancing means at one end thereof.

Fig. 7 is a detail end view of one of the auxiliary counter balancing devices.

S is a rear view of the same.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary end view with parts in section showing a part of one of the auxiliary counter balancing devices and a portion of the platen frame with which it coacts.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged, detail, fragmentary, sectional view showing the ball bearing mounting for one of the auxiliary c0unter balancing levers.

Fig. 11 is a detail view, with parts in section, showing the means for adjustably connecting the support brackets.

In the present instance, I have shown my invention embodied in a V0. 12 Remington machine in which the features of the invention may be readily incorporated without changing, or materially changing, the existing structural features thereof except by the addition thereto of certain parts and the replacement of other parts, as will hereinafter appear. \Vhile, as indicated, the features of my invention are particularly adapted for embodiment in Remington machines they are. not restricted to use in such macl'iines, but may be employed in typewriting machines generally, wherever found available.

The frame of the machine comprises a base 1, corner posts 2 and top plate 3 such are usually employed for short carriage machines. This same frame and the parts carried thereby are also employed in the long carriage machine except for the additions and replacements to be hereinafter indicated. The usual comparatively short fixed carriage rails are replaced by relatively long front and rear rails at and 5 respectively that extend beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and the usual comparatively short case shift rail is replaced by a relatively long shift rail 6 that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and is preferably rectangular in cross section to give added rigidity thereto and for other purposes.

The front fixed rail 4 is secured to the usual lugs 7 on the top plate and the end. portions of said rail are also supported on and secured to brackets 8 which project out ward from the frame of the machine and are oetachably and adjustably secured thereto by screws 9 and 10 and adjustable bearing bushings 11 which bear at their inner ends against the frame and through which the screws 9 are threaded.

The rear fixed guide rail 5 is secured to the machine has a depending flange or web and supported by the usual lugs 12 on the top plate. At its end portions, where the rail 5 extends out beyond the frame, it is secured to and supported on detachable brackets 13 detachably and adjustably secured to the frame by screws 14 and 15. The screws 14 are threaded through adjustable bushings 16, the inner ends of which bear against the frame of the machine. Screws 17 and threaded bushings 17 are employed to adjustably connect the rails 4 and to their respective supporting brackets 8 and 13 and to the lugs and 12. The adjustable means for connecting seen of the supporting brackets 8, 13 to the frame of the machine aflords substantially a universal adjustment of the .free supporting ends of the brackets when they are connected to the supporting rails 4 and 5.

The guide rails 4 and 5 are opposltely grooved to receive crossed bearing rollers 18 which also are received in oppositely grooved rails 19 and 20 which constitute front and rear cross bars respectively of the carriage truck, said cross bars being united by end bars 21 to form a rectangular frame.

A cylindrical platen 22 is supported to turn in bearings in end plates 23 of a platen frame. These end plates are united by the usual cross bars 24 and 25, the latter of which about midway in its length carries a roller 26. This roller bears on top of the case shift rail 6 to support the platen frame and platen for case shifting movement on the parallel links 27 and 28 by which the platen frame is connected to the truck.

The platen shaft or spindle 29 extends at each end through an upri ht slot 30 in a side bar 21 of the truck and has a bufier spring 31 surrounding it for contact with the ends of case shift screw stops 32 and 33 to limit the case shifting movements of the platen frame and platen.

Each end portion of the shift rail 6 where it extends beyond the side of the frame of 34 riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to one of the flat sides thereof. Each of these flanges gives additional rigidity to the outwardly extending portions of the shift rail and is advantageously used for other purposes as will presently appear.

Each pair of companion supporting brackets 8 and 13 are rigidly connected together near their free ends by a cast connecting member or bar 35. Each end of each member 35 is adjustablyconnected to the associated bracket 8 or 13 by a screw 36 and lock nuts 37. As shown in Fig. 11 each headed screw 36 passes freely through an opening in the companion bracket 8 or 13 and is received at its threaded end in a tapped opening in the adjacent end of the connecting bar 35. After each pair of screws 36 have been adjusted to properly connect the brackets and to obtain a proper positioning of the associated bar 35 relatively to the flange or web 34, the lock nuts 37 are tightened firmly connecting the brackets together. By these means not only are the free ends of each companion pair of supporting brackets firmly connected together and the free ends of the guide rails 4 and 5 maintained in parallelism, but a fore and aft adjustment of each connecting member 35 may be effected for purposes to hereinafter appear.

Each connecting member 35 constitutes a guide for the shift rail. Thus, each member 35 is provided with a vertically disposed transverse guide slot 38 in the upper side thereof that is of width slightly in excess of the eomeanion flange 34 that is received therein. This connection between the free end portions of the shift rail 6 and the connecting members 35 affords a free vertical shifting movement of the shift rail but prevents or limits any movement of the rail at right angles to its shifting movement, or fore and aft of the machine. The fore and aft bodily adjustment of each connecting member 35 enables the guide slot 38 therein to be brought into proper register with the companioz: depending flange without effecting a binding action between the connecting member and its associated flange.

Fixedly connected to each flange 34, as by rivets 39, is a depending actuating arm 40 pivoted at its lower end, as at 41, to a crank arm 42 at an end of a rock shaft 43. I prefer to connect each crank arm 42 to the rock shaft by means that afford an adjustment of each arm both longitudinally of and also around the axis of the shaft 43 as a center. Such means in the present instance comprises a split bearing 44 one end of each arm 42 held in clamping engagement with the shaft by a screw 45.

will be seen that the rock shaft 43 extends at both ends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and that the crank arms 42 and actuating members 40 likewise are located outside of the frame and beyond the sides thereof, where they may most effectively support the weight of the parts supported by the shift rail and a shifting of said parts without undue off-set strain and cramping resistance of the case shifting mechanism may be effected. Of course such elf-set strain is more pronounced when the platen frame is shifted at a time when the carriage is not approximately centered in its line of travel, but is at or near the limit of its travel in either direction. This is more pronounced when a long carriage is employed and by my present invention I successfully counter-act the off-set strains mentioned and provide for shifting the platen frame with a light pressure on a case shift key whatever may be the position of the carriage in its line of travel.

An important'factor in accomplishingthe foregoing results is in employing in conjunction with the features described roller bearings forthe rock shaft 43 to prevent the shaft from binding in its bearings during a shifting of the platen frame when the carriage happens to be near one end or the other of its travel and the preponderance of the weight of the platen frame is exerted on the shift rail near one end thereof.

I have provided comparatively simple and effective roller bearings for this purpose which I will now describe.

A supporting plate 46 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) has acentral opening 47 therein adapted to register with a corresponding opening 48 in the base 1 of the frame. One ofthese plates, with the parts carried thereby is secured to each side of the base of the frame by screws 49. Since the construction of both plates 46 and the roller bearings carried thereby are the same, the description of one will suiiice for both. a The bearing rollers 50, 51 and 52 of which there are three, provide a three point roller bearing or support near each end of the shaft 43. Each of the two lower rollers 50 and 51 is mounted to turn on a shouldered pivot screw 53, the threaded end of which takes in a tapped opening in the supporting plate 46. The upper roller 52 is mounted on a shouldered, pivot screw that corresponds to the screws 53 except that it engages at its threaded end in an adjustable carrying plate 55; One end of this carrying plate is mounted for a slight pivotal adjustment around a shouldered pivot screw 56 attached to the supporting plate 46. The other end of the carrying plate 55 has an enlarged opening 57 therein that receives the stem of a headed clamping screw 58 ofsmaller diameter than said opening to permit a slight adjustment of the plate 55 around its pivot screw 56 when the clamping screw 58 is loosened. This affords an up and down adjustment of the bearing roller 52, and when properly adjusted a tightening of the screw 58 clamps the plate 55 against movement and holds said roller in its adjusted position. The perimeters of all ofthe rollers 50. 51 and 52 extend inward beyond the walls of the openings i7 and 48 and coact with and constitute a support for the rock shaft 43 whichextends through said openings. The adjustment of each roller 52 enables any lost motion between the shaft and its bearing rollers to be taken up. This provides a simple and inexpensive roller bearing construction for the rock shaft.

Motion is transmitted to the rock shaft 43 by any suitable key actuated means, that shown beingsimilar to the means employed in the -5:12 Remington machine. A case shift key 59 (Fig. 1) is located 011 each side of the keyboard, each key being carried by a case shift key lever 60. Each lever 60 is pivoted at 61 to an upstanding ear 62 on a cross bar 63, and bears against one end of a heavy leaf spring 64, secured at 65 to the cross ar 63; Each ear 62 is riveted at 66 to a lever arm 67 pivoted at 68 to a mem ber 69 that is fixed to the'base of the frame. The arms 67 and cross bar 68 constitute a rigid bail to which motion is conveyed through the spring 64 from the key levers 60 as usual in the Remington machine. The rear end of each lever arm 67 carries a laterally projecting pin 70 that engages in a slot 71 in a crank arm 72 fixed on the rock shaft 43.

A depression of either case shiftkey 59 results in rocking the shaft 433 and effecting an upward case shifting movement of the rail 6 and the parts supported thereby.

In-order to partly counter balance the weight of the shifted parts I employ two contractile springs 78 each secured at its upper end to a screw 74 supported in an opening in the top plat 3 of the machine, as insaid Remington machine. The lower end of each of these springs is connected to a crank arm 72 and thus tends to counteract the weight of the parts that receive a case shifting movement. In l'ong carriage machines the springs 73 have been found to be insuthcient to adequately counter balance or counteract the weight of the shifted parts and I have therefore provided.auxiiiary counter, balancing means that may be added as attachments to existing machines without changing the existing structural features thereof and which auxiliary means I. will now describe.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 6 to 10 of the drawings it will be seen that a sheet metal bracket .75 is secured by screws 7 5 to the rear carriage rail 20 near one end thereof. This equipment at both sides of the carriage is the same and the description of one will apply to the other as well. To a depending arm on the bracket 7 5 is pivotally mounted an angular or hell crank lever 76 having a substantially horizontally disposed lever arm that carries an anti-friction roller 77 at its free end and to one side thereof. As shown in Figs. 6; 8 and 9 the roller 77 underlies and coacts with one of the side plates 23 that constitutes a part of the platen frame, to receive the weight thereof and the parts carried thereby including the platen. The upright arm of each lever '76 carries two pins 78 to each of which is connected one end of a contractile spring 79 that extends longitudinally in the general direction of the travel of the carriage or substantially parallel with the axis of the platen and towards the center of the carriage. The inner end of each spring 79 is anchored on a pin 80 carried by and projecting forward from the companion bracket 7 5.

I prefer to employ two springs 79 connected in the manner indicated to each of the levers 76 because of the lack of space in which to introduce a single larger spring for each lever and having the same effective force of the two springs 79. By extending the springs 7 9 longitudinally of the carriage in the manner shown and exerting their force on the levers 76 mounted for movement in a plane parallel with the axis of the platen I am enabled to provide springs of sufficicnt length and provide simple and effective counter balancing means within a comparatively small available space, and without modifying the existing structural features of the machine. It will be understood, moreover, that by arranging the auxiliary counter-balancing devices to coact with the end plates 23 of the platen frame in the manner shown, the force of the counter balancing springs 79 are advantageously applied to the platen frame.

In practice I prefer to mount each of the levers 76 on a ball bearing, as indicated in Fig. 10. From this View it will be understood that a pivot pin 81 is riveted at its reduced end to the depending arm of the bracket 75. This rivet has a head 82 that overlaps the pivoted portion of the lever 76 mounted on the pivot. A shouldered bearing portion 83 on the rivet coacts with a circular series ofanti-friction balls 84 that are also received in the inner grooved race-way in a hardened bearing ring. 85 firmly seated and held in an opening in the lever 76. The reduced portion or stem of the rivet 81 passes through a central opening in a washer 86, whereas the enlarged bearing portion 83 of the rivet bears against the side thereof and holds it against the depending arm of the bracket 75. The washer 86 thus maintains its associated lever 76 spaced apart from the supporting arm of its companion bracket, Whereas the washer and, the head "82 hearing against the lever on opposite sides thereof aid in supporting it agains't lateral deflection. It will be understood that there is one of these ball bearings for each of the levers 76 and that they aid in effectively applying the power of the springs 79 to counter balance the platen frame.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have provided means by which a standard machine may be employed at will with either a narrow or a Wide carriage, and when the latter is used simple means are provided for efiiciently guiding and supporting it, and for effecting a case shifting of the platen frame with the exertion of but little force.

Various changes may be made in the construction, and parts thereof may be employed without others, without departing from my invention as it is defined in the accompanying claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively thereto, and means that travel with the carriage and are intermediate said truck and platen frame for counteracting the weight of the latter, said means comprising a pair of spring-pressed levers, and a bearing roller carried by each of said levers and coacting with the platen frame.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively' thereto, and means that travel with the carriage and are intermediate said truck and platen frame for counteracting the weight of the latter, said means comprising a pair of spring-pressed levers, a bearing roller carried by each of said levers and coacting with the platen frame, and anti-friction roller bearings for each of said levers.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively thereto, and means that travel with the carriage and are intermediate said truck and platen frame for counteracting the weight of the latter, said means comprising a pair of levers pivoted on said truck and operating in a plane parallel with the axis of the platen, one arm of each of said levers coacting with said platen frame, and a spring connected to the other arm of each of said levers.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively thereto, and means that travel with the carriage and areintermediate said truck and platen frame for counteracting the weight of the latter, said means comprising a pair of angular levers pivoted on said truck and operating in a plane parallel with the axis of the platen, one arm of each of said levers being substantially horizontally disposed and the other arm substantially vertically disposed, and one or more springs connected to each of said vertically disposed arms.

5. In a typewriting machine including a cylindrical platen, the combination of a part mounted-for caseshifting movement, a pair of angular levers operating in a plane parallel withthe axis of the platen, one arm of each of said levers being substantially hori- Zontally disposed and the other substantially vertically disposed, anti-friction roller bearings for supporting each of said angular levers, a contact roller carried by the substantially horizontally disposed arm of each of said angular levers and coacting with the said part mounted for case shifting movement, and one or more springs connected to Lil the substantially vertically disposed arm of each of said angular levers and tending to counteract he weight of the part mounted for case shifting movement and the parts carried thereby.

6. In a type *riting machine, he coinbi nation of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively thereto, shifting means carried by the frame of the machine and including a shift rail, spring means connected with said casershifting means for counteracting some of the weight thereof and the parts shifted thereby, and auxiliary means for further counteracting the weight of the platen frame and the parts carried thereby, said auxiliary means comprising levers pivoted on said truck coacting with the platen frame, and contractile springs that extend longitudinally in the o ction of the length of the carriage and w ich are connected to said levers and through them counteract the weight of the platen frame.

7. In a tyi iewriting machine, the combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement relatively thereto, case shifting means carried by the frame of the machine and including a shift rail, spring means connected with said case shift means for counteractingsome of the weight thereof and the parts shifted thereby, and auxiliary means for further counteracting the weight of the platen frame the parts carried thereby, said auxiliary means comprising a pair of angular levers operating in a plane parallel with the axis of the platen and each having a substantially horizontally disposed arm and a substantially vertically disposed arm, roller bearings by which said angular levers are mounted on the truck one near each end thereof, and a pair of contractile springs connected to the substantially vertically disposed arm of each angular lever.

8. The combination of a platen frame mounted for case shift movement, and key actuated case shift mechanism for shifting said platen frame comprising a shift rail which extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and on which said platen frame bears, a rock shaft that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, key actuated means for rocking said shaft, and actuating and supporting connections between the end portions of said shift rail and rock shaft, which connections are located beyond the sides of the frame of the machine.

9. The combination of platen frame mounted for case shift movement, and hey actuated case shift mecian sm for shifti 9- said platen frame comprising a shift rail which extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and 0 which said platen frame bears, a rock shaft that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, roller bearings for supporting said rock shaft on the frame of the machine, key actuated means for rocking said shaft, and actuating and supporting connections between the end portions of said shift rail and rock shaft, which connections are located beyond the sides of the frame of the machine.

10. The combination of a case shift frame, and means for effecting a case shift movementof said case shift frame including a rock shaft which extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, connections outside of the frame of the machine from said rook shaft to said case shift frame, and two sets of bearing rollers on the frame of the machine for supporting said rock shaft.

11. The combination of a carriage including a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement, a shift rail which extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and on which said platen frame bears, a rock shaft that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, roller bearings by which said rock shaft is supported on the frame of the machine, actuating and supporting connections beyond the sides of the frame of the machine between said rock shaft and shift rail, means for effecting an adjustment in each train of said connections, and key controlled means for rocking said shaft.

12. The combination of a carriage including a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement, shift rail on which said platen frame bears, a rock shaft supported in hearings on the base of the machine, crank? arms on said rock shaft, upright supporting arms intermediate said rock shaft and shift rail, and guides fixed to the frame of the machine and having guide slots in which portions of said shift rail play, said guides limiting the fore and aft play of said shift rail.

13. The combination of a carriage includ ing a platen frame mounted for case shifting movement, a shift rail which extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and on which said platen frame bears, a rock shaft that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, roller bearings by which said rock shaft is supported on the frame of the machine, actuating and supporting connections beyond the sides of the frame of the machine between said rock shaft and shift rail, and guides fixed to the frame of the machine and having guide slots in which portions of said shift rail play, said guides limiting the fore and aft play of said shift rail.

14. The combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shift movement relative thereto, a pair of supporting brackets each detachably connected to the truck near one end thereof, a lever pivoted on each bracket, and a plurality of springs connected to one arm of each lever and extending in the direction of the travel of the carriage, the other arm of each lever coacting with the platen frame and tending to counteract the weight thereof.

15. The combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame mounted for case shift movement relative thereto, a pair of supporting brackets each detachably connected to the truck near one end thereof, a lever pivoted on each bracket, a plurality of springs connected to one arm of each lever and extending in the direction of the travel of the carriage, the other arm of each lever coacting with the platen frame and tending to counteract the wei ht thereof, a case shift frame including a case shift rail on which the platen frame bears, and springs connected to said case shift frame and which tend to counteract in part the weight of the case shift frame and the parts supported tneroby.

16. The combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame carried thereby and mounted for case shifting movement relative thereto, case shifting means including a case shift rail, a flange or web fixed to said case shift rail, and a guide fixed relatively to the frame of the machine and having a guide slot in which said flange or web is received and moves during the shift of said rail but guides and limits the movement of the rail in a direction at right angles to its case shifting movement.

17. The combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame carried thereby and mounted for case shifting movement relative thereto,

fcase shifting means including a case shift rail that extends beyond the sides of the frame of the machine, flanges on said shift rail at those portions thereof where they extend beyond the sides of the machine, and

I guides fixed to the frame of the machine and each having a guide slot in which one of said flanges is seated and moves during the case shifting movement of the shift rail but prevents or limits a movement of the shift f rail in a direction at right angles to its case means including a case shift rail that extends beyond the sides of the machine, depending flanges fixed on the shift rail on the projecting ends thereof, two pairs of supporting brackets secured to the frame of the machine and projecting from the sides thereof, truck supporting rails that extend beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and are supported at the extended ends thereof by said brackets, and an intermediate connecting bar between each pair of said supporting brackets, each connecting bar having a vertically disposed guide slot therein that receives a depending flange on the shift rail to limit the fore and aft movement of the shift rail without interfering with its case shifting movement.

19. The combination of a carriage truck, a platen frame carried thereby and mounted for case shifting movement, case shifting means including a case shift rail that extends beyond the sides of the machine, depending flanges fixed on the shift rail on the projecting ends thereof, two pairs of supporting brackets secured to the frame of the machine and projecting from the sides thereof, truck supporting rails that extend beyond the sides of the frame of the machine and are supported at the extended ends thereof by said brackets, an intermediate connecting bar between each pair of said supporting brackets, each connecting bar having a vertically disposed guide slot therein that receives a depending flange on the shift rail to limit the fore and aft movement of the shift rail without interfering with its case shifting movement, means for detachably and adjustably connecting each supporting bracket to the frame of the machine, and means for adjustably and detachably connecting each of said connecting bars to its associated supporting brackets.

Signed at Stamford, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut this 21st day of March A. D. 1980.

FREDERICK A. HART. 

